Paint Aid Delivered to Haiti

More than 3,500 gallons of paint will help reconstruct homes in Haitian villages wiped out by Hurricane Matthew, thanks to a donation from a Philadelphia-based coatings manufacturer.

Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti Oct. 4 as a Category 4 storm, killing hundreds, destroying hundreds of thousands of homes and leaving 1.4 million people in need of aid. It was first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the country since Cleo in 1964.

Axalta Coatings Systems announced that it shipped $33,000 worth of liquid coatings to Maxima S.A., a Haiti-based woodworking company, to help with a project to rebuild residences.

The donation will cover more than 1.4 million square feet of surface area, the manufacturer said.

Helping Haiti

“Haiti is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world in the face of natural disasters, including most recently Hurricane Matthew, which has left families and whole communities devastated,” said Michael Cash, Axalta senior VP and president of the company’s industrial coatings business.

“We are very fortunate that the products we make every day can, in some small way, help the families and communities in Haiti recover,” Cash added.

Maxima delivers starter homes to rural Haitian families suffering from natural disasters including the 2010 earthquake and now those affected by the recent damage from the hurricane, Axalta explains.

A single housing kit covers 250 square feet, is hurricane-certified to withstand 108 mph winds, and has been tested and approved in Haiti.

The coatings donation from Axalta will be used to cover the exterior of 5,600 Maxima starter homes.

Stefan Vervloet, president of Maxima, added: “Haitians are eager to rebuild, and we’re happy to partner with an organization that can help bring healing to a community recovering from Hurricane Matthew.”